Howley gets a buzz from balanced life

Zurich Premiership: Wasps scrum-half finds grass is greener on the other side after leaving the valleys of Wales

When Wales were beaten by Scotland at Murrayfield last month, Robert Howley and Scott Quinnell were in Edinburgh, but they never got to the match. Over a few pints they watched it on television at the Balmoral Hotel, where they had taken their wives for a weekend break.

In the bar they joined other Welsh supporters, many of whom visit the Scottish capital without setting foot in Murrayfield. "I've made many friends in the Welsh jersey and I'll always support the team,'' Howley said. "We mixed with the mad Taffs and had a great time. They pointed out that we shouldn't have been in the bar, we should have been out there playing.''

Howley and Quinnell, both former Wales captains, ex-Lions and world-class practitioners, at scrum-half and No 8 respectively, voluntarily cut short their Test careers to concentrate on club rugby and spend more time with their families. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss international rugby,'' Howley said. "It's what gives you the buzz. But I don't miss the pressure. I said to Scott: 'It's nice to wake up on a Saturday morning and not have that awful churning feeling in your stomach'.''

Howley decided on a dramatic change of direction 12 months ago. Back in 1996 he agonised over leaving his home-town club, Bridgend, for Cardiff, but this has been something of a quantum leap. He won his 59th and last cap against Scotland in Cardiff, and was taken off after 65 minutes by the new Wales coach, Steve Hansen. "I was a bit disappointed to leave with 20 minutes remaining, but it was Steve's call and he had his reasons."

Howley has been getting his buzz with the successful Wasps squad, and his impressive form, coinciding with Wales's whitewash in the Six Nations' Championship, inevitably led to the argument that his retirement from the Red Dragonhood was premature. Last week Hansen remarked that "all Howley has to do is pick up the phone''. It will not happen.

"I made the decision that I would be unavailable for Wales, and there's no going back,'' Howley said. "I don't expect Steve to come after me. He has several young scrum-halves to consider.

"Wales have got a new structure to concentrate on and I think they've made the right move. There weren't enough quality players to go round. I hope a competitive edge returns and that in two or three years' time they'll be flourishing. The big individual investors in Wales have probably saved the game from extinction."

Graham Henry, Hansen's predecessor, relieved Howley of the captaincy during the 1999 World Cup. Howley's daughter Megan had just been born, and shortly afterwards was rushed to hospital with septicaemia. At one point she stopped breathing. "Graham thought the captaincy was affecting my form. He made a hard call. I didn't agree with it, but he's still the best coach I've ever worked with.''

Howley's second daughter, Rebecca, was born last April. "I missed the first year of Megan's life because of international rugby," Howley said. "She thought I worked in a hotel. I don't want to make the same mistake with Rebecca.''

So now it's a family season-ticket at Legoland, just down the road from their new address at Windsor in Royal Berkshire. From there it's a short drive to training at Chiswick and to Wasps' home games at High Wycombe.

Wasps are looking forward to what could be a tremendous climax to the season after advancing to the top three in the Zurich Premiership with impressive timing. Next Saturday they travel to Heywood Road, where Sale are unbeaten in the league, in what looks like being a prelude to the play-off between the clubs finishing second and third. The winners of that are scheduled to meet Gloucester in the final at Twickenham to decide the Premiership champions.

Wasps have been good for Howley, and vice versa. "It feels like a new lease of life. In Wales you're in a goldfish bowl and you have to perform week in, week out. At Wasps I'm under a nice kind of pressure. It's more internal than public, and I don't have to worry about selectors watching me. I have pride in my ability. My social calendar has gone out the window and I'm able to concentrate on the rugby. We're into the business end of the season and our confidence is high. There's a strong work ethic here. Training is short but high-intensity. There are quality players [he reels off a list including Lawrence Dallaglio] but we don't rely on one person leading the way.''

Howley reckons one of the keys to their rise is the contribution of Shaun Edwards, the No 2 to the coach, Warren Gatland, and a high-profile recruit from rugby league. "He's done what Phil Larder did at Leicester and our defence has improved considerably. Warren doesn't say much, but when he stands up you listen.''

Howley heard enough when Gatland wooed him on the phone in a 15-minute conversation after it became clear the Welshman was in the mood to cross the Severn Bridge. He ran into problems with his contract at Cardiff, a move to Leicester broke down, and Wasps had to compete with Bath, Harlequins and Leeds for Howley's signature. "I never thought I would leave Wales,'' he said. On Friday night he made the return journey, Wasps winning 27-17 at Pontypridd in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup semi-final.

Having signed a three-year contract, Howley, who is 32, will end his playing career with Wasps, after which he plans to return to Wales, possibly as a coach. He is currently working his way through the qualification process, picking up the necessary badges. "I'll probably retire in a few years' time. I'll listen to what my body is telling me.''

In the meantime, his body is talking a good game. Wasps have got a seasoned professional whose time is no longer torn between club and country. And his family no longer thinks he works at the Holiday Inn.